“I’ve had to gaslight myself daily that everything is going to be OK just to function.”

Hi, I’m Michaela Bramwell, and I'm a Junior Staff Writer here at BuzzFeed, covering everything trending news, from your latest viral TikTok to the chaos of today's politics.

"All of my normal self-care and mental health focuses have been put on the back burner because my mind can't wrap my head around what is currently happening. Thanks a lot, Trump."

"I am increasingly pessimistic about everything this administration is getting away with. Gutting resources that we've had for decades, backing out of organizations we were previously in and might prove detrimental, not taking climate change seriously, etc. We are slowly watching our children's futures turning into uncertainty because of all these things going unchecked. I would love to think that the Democrats will stick their neck out and hopefully find success in the near future, but again, I'm not expecting it at this point. If we were able to stop this train, we would've already done it."

"I have Crohn's disease which is an autoimmune disease of the digestive system. Stress makes this disease so much worse. My inflammatory markers are really high right now and have been since last July. I had a flare up that was pretty bad in March and I was sick for almost 2 weeks. I'm seeing my gastroenterologist in June so hopefully we can figure this out."

"I can't leave my house without being paranoid of ICE, and my psychosis has been significantly worse."

"Trump is amplifying everything bad and advocating for racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and misogyny. He has made hatred mainstream. I have never been a hateful person, but Trump has brought those feelings out in me, and I don’t like it. I am sad for our democracy, our Constitution, and our country. We need to work together to restore our democracy."

"The amount of energy and brain space the current political climate takes up for them is very high. Finding the sweet spot between staying informed so they can stay safe and overdoing it out of anxiety is difficult. Reactions I would normally say are fear-based and unproductive are now prudent, like preparing to flee the state or country. It breaks my heart. They're lovely humans."

"My Hispanic friends are so terrified of ICE (they were born here) that they don't come to school some days. Older generations want to call us lazy, but we are so exhausted."

"Knowing that coworkers, neighbors, and family members have willingly, gleefully voted for and continually defended fascism is unbearable. I cannot imagine ever being able to forgive them for what they have done to the country I love and for destroying my faith in humanity."

"I've cried in sessions with clients terrified of ICE. I've had trans clients tell me that if they lost access to their hormone therapy, they would rather not continue living. I know parents who have their 'escape route' already in place, in case their child becomes a target of the government. It's all extremely overwhelming, and practicing healthy media consumption is a daily struggle. I don't think we're hopeless, though. I have faith in the American people to keep doing what's right, regardless of what our so-called leaders say, like how my city responded to the ICE surge earlier this year. I'm still terrified of how much more we will lose before the ship turns around."—36, nonbinary, social worker 

"I have to actively work to keep my depression from taking over."—LaidiCair

"From worrying about myself or loved ones getting arrested for having a miscarriage (or dying from lack of medical care), wondering if I'll have Medicare around when (if I even can) retire, testing my tap water to make sure it's safe to drink, hoping there's some semblance of a liveable job market around for my kid, wondering when (not if) I or my spouse will be the next one our employers decide to lay off despite neither of our wages having kept up with inflation for years, not to mention the various other atrocities going on in the country that don't directly effect us. It's a lot. I've had to gaslight myself daily that everything is going to be OK just to function."—Anonymous, 38, IO

"My mental health is deteriorating because it seems like this administration is doing everything it can to get rid of 'the helpers,' like those of us who are working to create more equitable outcomes for underserved communities. It’s exhausting to be an empathetic person navigating this shit storm."—Anonymous, nonprofit employee

"I absolutely HATE politics, but I do try to stay informed as much as I can, reading the news is like getting punched in the stomach repeatedly, and it just gets worse every single day. The thing that gets me down the most is how completely and utterly helpless I feel all the time."—Anonymous, 40, VT

"Then I worry about my students, who hear rumors of ICE and don't make it to school, are missing parents who have been deported, and are scared of the harm their vulnerable family members are facing or could face as services get cut. It's a never-ending anxiety in every aspect of my life."—Anonymous, 32, teacher

—Anonymous, political science instructor

"My father, a Vietnam vet, suffered a long, drawn-out death (ending in 2018) while I suffered constant debates with him on what MAGA and Donald Trump's 'values' would mean for our country."—Anonymous, 39, CA

"My husband and I want to start a family, but it would be irresponsible to bring a child into Trump’s world. I am so disappointed in America. I cry every day because of this."—38, female, AL

"It's making me feel like we are living in a dystopian society. We have to be different, and things need to change. It's basically like the book by George Orwell, '1984.'"—Anonymous, 22, Louisiana

Responses have been edited for length/clarity.